Pétanque & Pastis

Le Train des Merveilles

Three weeks after our return to France, we decided to take a week-long vacation where we basically just stayed local.  The idea was to take in a couple performances at the Jazz-à-Juan festival, which was now in full swing, soak up some rays on the beach, take some day trips, etc.  One of our day trips was something that sounded intriguing to us when we had first heard about it a long time ago, but never made the effort to look into it until now.  We took a trip on Le Train des Merveilles, from Nice Ville to the medieval perched village of Tende.  It was an hour and 45-minute journey through the scenic Paillon and Roya-Bevera Valleys (Les Vallées des Merveilles), with a running commentary in both French and English by a lovely professional guide from the Tourist Office in Tende.  We traveled through steep canyons, vertiginous viaducts, and winding tunnels, one of which was a helical tunnel which spiraled around, crossing over itself inside the tunnel.  We climbed to an altitude of 1000 meters, stopping at a number of picturesque villages along the way, many of which are popular hiking destinations.  We disembarked at Tende, where we hiked around a bit, taking in the views and the architecture.  We then lingered over an alfresco lunch in the warm sunshine before checking out the Musée des Merveilles. 

Hilltop Cemetery in Tende 

Ruins of Château Lascaris in Tende

Wall Art in Tende 

Breil-sur-Roya 

After the museum visit in Tende, we hopped back onto the train and headed over to the village of Breil-sur-Roya, which sits beside the cool and colorful Roya River.  After exploring the village, we found a comfortable rocky platform next to the river where we cooled off by sticking our bare feet into the fresh flowing water, while we watched others swimming, kayaking, and jumping from the cliffs into the river. It would have been a great picnic spot.

We were not prepared to do any hiking on this trip, but the next time we go that will be our primary objective.  It would be great to stop at one of the villages and do a nice hike and spend the night, then stop at another village the next day for another hike before taking the train back home.  We’ll have to add this to our “To Do” list.

Sancta Maria-in-Albis Church in Breil-sur-Roya 

Kayakers on the Roya River in Breil-sur-Roya 

President’s Day Weekend in Saint-Tropez

We were rather surprised to see traces of snow on the ground in different spots that we could view from the A-8 autoroute on our way from Antibes to Saint-Tropez for President's Day Weekend. It may not have been the best weekend for our planned randonnées, but we didn't let the weather stop us from hiking and pique-niquing, even if we did have to fight a little bit of rain and hail in the process. Although, in the future I think we'll wait until later in the season before making any hiking plans in the Var. Our last randonnée in Saint-Tropez took place in June, which was really a great time of year because, not only were all the trails open and cleaned up, but we could take advantage of lots of great swimming opportunities along the hiking path.

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From the Citadelle toward La Baie des Canebiers

From Plage des Salins toward Plage de Tahiti

From Plage des Salins toward Plage de Tahiti

From Plage des Salins toward Plage de Tahiti

Randonnée – Cap d’Ail

Dénivelée:  100m                                             Durée:  2h00

Our first truly summer-like day this year motivated us to get out for a randonnée along another beautiful Sentier Littoral (coastal path).  This time we headed from Antibes to Cap d’Ail, which is situated just this side of Monaco – about a 50-minute drive via the autoroute.  One of the first things we spotted on the hiking trail was a restaurant with a large terrace where we stopped immediately to make a reservation for lunch (Le Cabanon, Pointe des Douaniers, tél: 04.93.78.01.94).  Unfortunately, they were fully booked and the earliest we could get a table was 2:30pm.  This gave us 2 ½ hours to complete the 2-hour roundtrip hike, which meant we ended up doing a little backtracking, which was no problem on such a warm, beautiful day like today.

Sentier Littoral on Cap d’Ail toward Pointe des Douaniers

It's an easy hike along a very well-maintained walkway with some ups and downs via staircases.  The sentier winds all along the sea, passing by lovely villas, rocky beaches, rugged cliffs, craggy remnants of an ancient volcano, and lots of picturesque places to stop and have a pique-nique, including an Aire de Pique-Nique providing several picnic tables with shade and restrooms.  I imagine they are pretty well occupied in the summer, but today there were lots of spots available.

Alfresco Lunch at Le Cabanon at Pointe des Douaniers

After our alfresco lunch of salade du poulpes, washed down with our first cool, crisp, Côte-de-Provence rosé wine of the year, we drove the coastal route to Latté, Italy, to do some shopping, and loaded up on some of our favorite Italian staples.  We finished the day with an antipasti platter for dinner, accompanied by a bottle of Barbera d’Alba vino, and a Woody Allen movie, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, which brought back memories of our trip to Barcelona of just a week ago.

Corniglia to Manarola to Riomaggiore to Portovenere

We covered a lot of territory on our last full day in Cinque Terre.  We started the morning by taking the train to Corniglia, where we disembarked, wandered over to the footpath, and then headed over to our next destination - the village of Manarola, an easy hike which took only about a half an hour.

Manarola

From Manarola we took the 15-minute stroll along the picturesque Via dell’Amore which led us to Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five villages, and to the end of our Cinque Terre Village Hike, but not the end of our village exploration...

Via dell’Amore

Riomaggiore

The first time we came to Cinque Terre was in March of 2004, which was a pretty good time to come, with less people crossing our paths on the hiking trails.  However, at that time of year there was no ferry service to the other villages, only train service.  Apparently, the ferries don’t start operating until after Easter.   So, this time we took advantage of the ferry service from Riomaggiore to the beautiful portside village of Portovenere, which was, along with Cinque Terre, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997.  It was a dramatic entrance from the sea, with the gothic-Genovese Church of San Pietro sitting atop the rocky promontory in the early-Roman Piazza Spallanzani.

Portovenere

Portovenere Harbor

And the drama continued as we turned the corner into the harbor to be dazzled by all the colorful buildings huddled together with the Church of San Lorenzo peeking out, all crowned by the 16^th-century Doria Castle.  Of course, our first order of business just off the boat was to find a place for lunch, and, once again, we found a great place along the harbor where we feasted on yet another assortment of delicious frutti di mare before heading out to explore our beautiful surroundings.

Portovenere – Piazza Spallanzani

Il Castello Doria

Grotta dell’Arpaia a.k.a. Byron’s Grotto

The 30-minute ferry ride got us back to our home base of Vernazza by 6:00pm, which gave us plenty of time before dinner to relax and get packed for our return trip to Antibes tomorrow.  Dave’s brother, Mike, has a flight to catch on Sunday which will get him back home to California, where he can rest up from his very busy and active vacation.

Vernazza

Vernazza to Monterosso to Vernazza

It was on Day 2 of our Cinque Terre adventure that we completed the longest of the hikes between the 5 villages.  We started from Vernazza at around 10:00 in the morning, and headed toward Monterosso al Mare, encountering a burly grape vendor along the way.  Of course, we couldn’t resist purchasing a cluster of sweet and juicy grapes for about 1€, which kept us energized for the remainder of the hike.  We arrived into Monterosso after about an hour and a half, and stopped for something refreshing to drink.  Afterwards, we meandered through the farmer’s market, ogling all the beautiful, colorful produce.  Our plan had been to take the train back to Vernazza, but after partaking in a copious, ambrosial array of delectable seafood delights for lunch, all washed down with a cool, crisp, fruity Cinque Terre wine, we were re-energized and decided to hike back to our home base in Vernazza.

Grape Vendor on the Trail to Monterosso al Mare

Hiking Trail between Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare 

Italian Produce in Monterosso al Mare

Beach in Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso al Mare Tunnel

Hiking in Cinque Terre

We returned home to Antibes from our Burgundy barge trip on Monday, we washed clothes and repacked on Tuesday, and then we headed back to the train station on Wednesday en route to our next adventure - Cinque Terre, on the Ligurian Coast of Italy.  The Cinque Terre, or “Five Lands”, are made up of the charming fishing villages of (from north to south) Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, & Riomaggiore, all clinging to the rocky cliffs above the resplendent Ligurian Sea, and all linked together by hiking trails and by a local train, and, this time of year, most are also linked by ferries.

Vernazza from the Trail to Corniglia

We didn’t waste any time hitting the trails. After we got settled into our hotel in the beautiful village of Vernazza, we headed to the train station to buy our Carta Cinque Terre.  The card gives you access to all the maintained hiking trails and to the local train which stops in all the towns between Levanto and La Spezia.  The funds you pay for the card go to finance the restoration and conservation of the Cinque Terre National Park, which in 1997 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Corniglia from the Direction of Vernazza

It took us less than 90 minutes, hiking past olive groves and terraced vineyards along the high, rocky, narrow trail from Vernazza, to reach Corniglia to the south.  Because it sits so high, 100 meters above the sea, Corniglia is the only one of the five villages without direct access to the sea, and, therefore, has no ferry service.  We found a café with a lovely vine-covered terrace facing the sea, where we took a break and partook in some tasty antipasti of olives, cippolini,  & bruschetta, all washed down with some cold, crisp white Cinque Terre wine, while we watched the sun begin its slow descent into the Ligurian Sea.  We still had plenty of sunlight as we headed down from this perched village via a staircase of over 370 steps toward the train station where we hopped onto the train back to our home base of Vernazza.  By hiking southward from Vernazza to Corniglia, we avoided climbing these 370 steps that you encounter hiking northward from Manarola to Corniglia.

A Corniglia Sunset over the Ligurian Sea

Randonnée - Cap d’Antibes

Dénivelée:  +30m / -30m                             Durée:  2h00

 
One of the many nice things about living in Antibes is that we can pack a couple sandwiches, a couple bottles of water, walk out our front door at any time of the year, and take a beautiful hike around the Cap d'Antibes, along the mostly groomed Sentier Littoral – no driving, no hassle.  It takes us 30 minutes to walk to the official start of the randonnée at Plage de la Garoupe, and from there it takes about two hours to complete the loop.  The official name of the path is Sentier Touristique de Tirepoil, and it doesn't actually go around the whole Cap, but around a portion of it from the Baie de la Garoupe, around Cap Gros, and to the Château de la Croé near the Villa Eilenroc.  It's at this point where you lose the coastline and have to turn inward if you want to do the loop.  If you hit it right, you can do a tour of Villa Eilenroc before you continue on with the hike.  Unfortunately, their hours are pretty limited – Wednesdays at 9:00am and 1:30pm – so, we have never hit it right.  There are lots of scenic spots along the trail to stop for a picnic and to take a swim, although, the water is a bit cold this time of year, so we didn't bother to wear our swimsuits today.

The Rocky Cap D’Antibes

The Sentier Littoral on Cap d’Antibes

The Alpes-Maritime: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

 

Randonnée - Grotte de St-Marie Madeleine

Dénivelée:  335m                     Durée:  2h00

According to ancient legend, Mary Magdalene and her exiled companions fled Palestine soon after the death of Christ. They somehow landed on the shores of Provence, where she traveled around spreading the word of the gospel. She spent the last thirty years of her life in contemplation, living in a grotto in The Saint Baume Mountain. "Baume" is derived from a Provençal word meaning "grotto". Today we made the trek to see the famous cave where one of the witnesses of Christ's resurrection spent her retirement years.

La Grotte Sainte Marie Madeleine

The Altar inside the Cave of Mary Magdelene

View from 335 meters atop The Saint Pilon

We continued our hike upward to the Saint Pilon Chapel at the top of the Saint Baume Mountain, where we had a panoramic view of the region of the Var all around us.

The Relics of Sainte Marie Madeleine

The last stop on our Mary Magdelene tour today was the town where she died in the arms of her close friend, Saint Maximin, the bishop of Aix. Her relics had been buried in order to be protected from looters, and rediscovered in 1279. In 1295 construction began on a Basilica worthy to house her precious remains. The Basilique Sainte Marie Madeleine in the town of Saint Maximin, named after her friend and companion in exile, acts as a reliquary for what is believed to be her skull encased in gold, and a vial with a patch of skin from her forehead which had been touched by Christ after his resurrection.

Gastronomy in St-Martin-de-Vers

We lived a gourmand's dream today in the beautiful village of St-Martin-de-Vers, where our friends, and gourmet chefs, Allan & Diana, feted us with local specialties. We started with lunch, which included a smooth, rich foie gras and confiture accompanied by a sweet Jurançon wine, a light and delicate tomato tart, a Cahors wine, and the best gateau aux noix (walnut cake) I've ever tasted.

A Humpback Bridge in St-Martin-de-Vers

Lunch was followed by a much-needed walk around the village and a hike into the hills up above. Diana and Allan seem to know most of the 100 or so inhabitants of this typical Quercy village, as we stopped and chatted with several of them on our scenic tour.

A Hiker's View of St-Martin-de-Vers

There are some nice hiking trails climbing up into the hills above the village, offering picture postcard views of the four-slope rooftops nestled together in the cozy village below, and offering close encounters with grazing sheep, who didn't seem to be bothered at all by our traipsing along.

Grazing Sheep in the Hills above St-Martin-de-Vers

Our rejuvenating hike helped us to work up an appetite for our evening festivities. We started out with an apéritif called Fénelon, which consists of a bit of Crème de Cassis, Vin de Noix, and a generous portion of Cahors wine. To munch along with our Fénelons we had some wonderful homemade spicy almonds roasted in herbs – one of Allan's secret recipes. Dinner included sweet melon and salty Jambon de Bayonne, Magret de Canard with a sweet, thick balsamic reduction on a bed of bitter greens, all washed down with another delicious Cahors wine. As we waddled out to our car to head back to our home base in St-Cirq-Lapopie, we decided that it might be necessary to increase our 30-minute run tomorrow morning to something a little more exertive.

GATEAU AUX NOIX COLBY (c2004 Diana C. Colby)  

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Coat two 8"-round baking dishes with (walnut or canola) oil.   

3. Mix together:

      1/2 c. eggs (whole or egg whites only)

      1 c. sugar

      1/2 c. oil (3/8 c. walnut oil plus 1/8 c. canola oil)

      1/2 c. yoghurt (plain, nonfat)

      Optional: l T. honey and 2 T. Madeira and 1/2 T. vanilla

4. Sift in: 1 1/2 c. SELF-RISING flour.

5. Stir in: 1 c. well-chopped walnut pieces (about 4 oz.).

6. Divide batter in two and pour into the two baking dishes. 

      Optional: Sprinkle top with more walnut pieces and/or decorate with walnut halves.

7. Bake about 35 minutes, then cool on racks.

      Optional: When serving, top each slice with a dollop of crème fraîche and top with a strawberry and a mint leaf.

Randonnée – Cap Lardier in Ramatuelle

Parts of the village were very quiet this morning as we searched for some café au lait and croissants.  Our hotel started their breakfast service at 9:30, which seemed pretty late to us.  Fortunately, we found a café in the main square next to the Sunday morning market.  The Café de l’Ormeau was bustling with vendors getting their caffeine start before opening their stalls.  After breakfast, we walked through the market to pick up some pique-nique items for our randonnée today.

Sentier du Littoral - Cap Lardier

We started our hike at Mas de Gigaro, as suggested by AzurAlive, and followed the Sentier du Littoral past the small coves and protected beaches of sunbathers - some with and some without swimsuits.  We hiked up and down the rocks and rocky stairs, past the small crocodile-shaped island called La Crique de I’llot du Crocodile, stopping for a swim in the nippy sea, before reaching our destination of Cap Lardier.  From the Cap, we turned back and took the inland path, where we stopped on the way for a pique-nique among the ruins of une Batterie Napoléonienne, which was an ancient artillery fortification.  The whole loop, including a short swim and a pique-nique, took only about three hours of easy hiking, which left us plenty of beach time this afternoon in the warmer waters in the Bay de Cavalaire.

Cap Lardier in Ramatuelle

Restaurant L’Ecurie du Castellas in Ramatuelle

The ambiance at dinner tonight was amazing on the inviting terrace of our hotel, overlooking the Église Notre-Dame.  Although the food was all right, unfortunately, it did not compare to the lovely atmosphere, and was not nearly as good as last night’s dinner at Restaurant La Forge.

Le Sanctuaire de la Madone de Fenestre

This morning we followed the winding road northeast from St-Martin-Vésubie into the Parc National du Mercantour to the sanctuary of the Madone de Fenestre, which sits at 1903 meters high at the foot of a circle of craggy mountains, about 4 kilometers from the Italian border.  We were surprised by a couple of things.  The first thing that took us by surprise was that there was a bit of snow that must have fallen yesterday while we were being rained on in St-Martin-Vésubie.  The other thing that really surprised us was that there were so many cars parked along the road here.  We didn’t see a lot of people, but we saw a lot of cars.  This is a hiker’s paradise, with scenic trails leading off in different directions from here, and a popular place to hike in the summer when it is too hot to hike at the lower altitudes more popular in winter.

Un Orchestre de Vaches

There couldn’t have been more than about 100 cows munching away along the rocky hillside, each with a big bell wrapped around its neck, but the musical sounds that rang from the bells just kind of blasted through the whole valley around le sanctuaire de la Madone de Fenestre.  It was pretty amazing.

Randonnée - Route de la Sainte-Baume

Dénivelée:  280m                                           Durée:  3h00

Today’s AVF Randonnée took us to the Estérel in the département of the Var for a climb through some ancient ruins on the way to La Grotte de la Sainte-Baume.  It is in this cave that Saint-Honorat lived as a hermit for some time in the 4^th century, in keeping with his vows of a calm and prayerful life in solitude.  It was after his stay in this cave that he moved on to the  Îles de Lérins to continue his solitary life, only to find himself constantly sought out for counsel and inspiration.  It was in this way that he first established a community of monks on the island, which developed into the holy Monastery of Lérins.

La Grotte de la Sainte-Baume

Each year the town of Saint-Raphaël organizes a Celebration of La Sainte-Baume.  The first Sunday of May, a traditional pilgrimage is made to La Grotte de la Sainte-Baume, where a mass is led in Provençale by the Saint-Raphaël parish priest, followed by lunch and dancing outside of the cave-cum-chapel.